Beetroot is able to provide you with anti-cancer and heart-protection properties thanks to its red pigments. Easy to grow,it is one of the top 10 vegetables grown in the home garden.

Beetroot are easy to grow and ideal for anyone new to vegetable gardening. And beetroot is for more than pickling. Try roast beetroot –or even try it in your burger when you’re having a barbecue. For best results,sow beetroot little and often,harvesting the roots when they are young,tender and the size of a golf ball. The leaves can also be eaten. If you grow varieties for winter storage,it is possible to have beetroot almost all year round.Height: approximately 35.0 cm (1.14 feet)Difficulty level: Easy

Planting & CareSow three seeds at 10cm (4in) intervals,2.5cm (1in) deep in rows 30cm (12in) apart,at fortnightly intervals from mid-April to July for a succession of tender,tasty roots. Those sown from June onwards can be used for storing in winter,and some people use long or globe varieties for strong but round roots are suitable.

Use bolt-resistant varieties for early sowings under cloches in late February or early March. Make the first sowings outdoors with no protection in March or April.

Soil: Beetroot will grow in any well-drained garden soil but require fertile conditions,best ensured by digging in at least a bucketful of well-rotted garden compost or organic matter,and raking in 150g per sq metre of Growmore or other general purpose fertiliser before sowing. Early sowings benefit from protection with horticultural fleece or cloches.

When the seedlings are about 2.5cm (1in) high thin out to leave one seedling per 10cm (4in) station. Prefers a neutral soil with a pH of between 6.5 and 7.5.

Water: Water every 10-14 days in dry spells. If plants are not growing strongly,apply 30g per square metre of high nitrogen fertiliser,such as sulphate of ammonia,and water in.

Fertilizer: Feeding beet plants is almost as important as soil tilth and water. Prepared beds should have organic matter worked into them to increase porosity and add nutrients, but beets are heavy feeders and will need supplemental nutrients during their growing period. The right combination of nutrients is important to knowing how to fertilize beets. The right kinds of nutrients mean bigger roots with sweeter flavor.

Care:

Beetroot will grow in any well-drained garden soil but require fertile conditions, best ensured by digging in at least a bucketful of well-rotted garden compost or organic matter, and raking in a handful per square metre/yard of Grow more or other general purpose fertiliser before sowing.

Early sowings benefit from protection with horticultural fleece or cloches.

When the seedlings are about 2.

5cm (1in) high thin out to leave one seedling per 10cm (4in) station.

Water every 10-14 days in dry spells.

If plants are not growing strongly, apply 30g per square metre of high nitrogen fertiliser, such as sulphate of ammonia, and water in.

Harvesting: When you can start seeing the root,you will have a good idea of its size. The beetroots are ready to harvest when they are approximately the size of a small orange;too large and they won t be as tasty.UseCulinary use:

The different cultivated forms of Beta vulgaris have been bred for different culinary uses.

Leaf beets have been selected for their edible leaves and their roots are not eaten, while both the leaves and roots of beetroot or table beet are edible.

In general use a soil-based compost placed over a generous layer of drainage material such as earthenware crocks, pebbles or gravel. Water and feed regularly, especially while plants are bearing flowers and fruit, when a high-potash fertilizer is recommended.

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Using pebbles in a garden brings different colours and textures to the garden. Pebbles can also fill up otherwise empty space in the garden, leaving a visual that might be considered more interesting and aesthetic than simple dirt, soil or mulch.